Football Cats Hoping for Another Bounce-Back Game on Saturday
The Kentucky football team has show resilience this season, bouncing back from difficult losses on multiple occasions. At least twice this season, the Cats have roared back from a disappointing performance with a strong game.
On Monday, UK head coach Mark Stoops pointed out that exact situation, one that his team will face again this week when taking on intrastate rival Louisville.
“Without a question, and you know when we have done that right,” Stoops said. “You play some really good football teams and you’re going to have some bad days. The Georgia game, and we respond. Play well against Texas, come up short but play our tails off. The Tennessee game I mentioned how you know how bad we felt that day, and bounce back and play good the next week at Auburn. So, that’s what’s important to me, that the team responds. They prepare, we as a staff give them the best plan, and then you go give it everything you have, and the results are the results.”
The Cats lost at Vanderbilt on Saturday and will be looking for another of those bounce-back performances. In addition, it’s a rivalry game, so there will be a little extra juice in the tank this week. Stoops discussed this year’s UK-U of L game on Monday.
“I wish we always know the right buttons to push,” Stoops said. “In this game, it is the last game and you have to empty the tank. This is the last game of the year, both teams are hurt with important players that are down. It is always the next man up mentality. Both of us have programs with capable players to step in. Both teams are definitely beat up and you have to respond and give it everything you have here for the last week.”
Kentucky is especially beat up on the defensive side. Stoops knows that, whether any of the injured players can return this week or not, the players on the field need to step up, including those with little to no experience.
“Well I think, basically in a nutshell to answer your question, we have a lot of stuff out there right now, a lot of guys with inexperience, and they’re going to see a lot of things,” Stoops said. “They always just have to apply the defense. It’s really impossible for us to create all the different gadgets or trick plays or things of that nature. You know we just have to apply your rules, and when young kids see things for the first time, sometimes it’s like you know, I wish I could see that again.”
The Cats will be looking for another bounce-back game on Saturday, with rivalry and bowl implications on the line.
